by S. E. Smith
“The phone,” she whispered, turning to look up into his eyes. “We have to try to call again.”
Merrick shook his head. Not yet. There is not enough time.
“Okay,” Addie replied, turning toward him so she could slide the phone back into her bra.
Merrick’s lips twitched when she looked up and caught him staring down the gap in the front. Her silent snort echoed through his mind as she adjusted her shirt. Lifting his hand to her chin, he tilted her head back so that she was looking into his eyes.
“I will protect you,” he promised.
*.*.*
Addie tilted her head to the side and studied him. A sad smile curved her lips. She knew that he meant what he was saying. She could ‘feel’ it to the depths of her soul. But, she was also aware that some things were out of his control. Keeping her safe was just one of them.
“We’ll get out of this,” she replied, shivering when the cage jerked and rose slightly off the floor of the trailer. “I don’t know how, but we’ll get out of this.”
She leaned into his hand when he cupped her cheek before pulling back and rising to her feet. He rose up and steadied her when she almost fell as the cage was lifted from the back of the semi-trailer. She reached out and gripped the bars to keep from falling.
Several men were shouting to each other while Weston and Dr. Rockman watched them. Merrick moved to stand protectively behind her, gripping the bars on each side of her.
I’m not totally helpless, you know, Addie informed him. I’m the youngest of six kids, three of which were boys. Zach, Colin, and Brian all showed me some really good moves in case I ever needed them.
You will not! I will protect you, Merrick stated, eyeing the movement and position of each person.
And if you can’t? Addie pointed out. I’m not saying you won’t try. I’m just saying, if push comes to shove, I can help. The first chance I can get to call, I will.
I told you…, Merrick started to say before he jerked as two long red darts struck him in the shoulder.
Addie’s eyes widened when she saw him reach up and jerked them out with his left hand. His face had contorted again into a mask of rage. Her arms instinctively reached out as he swayed and started to fall to one knee.
Addie! Merrick’s slurred voice echoed through her.
I’ll protect you, Merrick, she whispered as she helped guide him to the floor of the cage. I won’t leave you alone again.
Addie ran her hand over his cheek as his eyes fluttered shut. Whatever they had shot into him had to be an incredibly powerful drug to knock him out so quickly. She glanced up when she felt the cage bang against the floor. Fury drove her to her feet when Weston and Dr. Rockman walked toward it.
Addie didn’t stop to think, she just reacted. Signing as fast as she could, her voice rose in fury. For once she didn’t care if she was speaking in a loud voice.
“Why are you doing this to him? What do you want with him? With me? Why? Why would you treat others like this? Don’t you care that it is wrong? Don’t you have any morals? Any ethics? Any sense of humanity?” She yelled.
“My, my,” Dr. Rockman chuckled, looking over Addie’s bruised, furious face. “Who would have known our alien friend would prefer a furious Pollyanna, to a real woman?”
“Fuck you,” Addie replied, glaring at the woman. “You don’t know what a real woman is! If you did, you would never behave like this!”
“It looks like your kitten has claws, Doc,” Weston laughed. “You’d better be careful.”
Rockman’s eyes narrowed on Addie’s face. This time, a sneer pulled at her lip and she looked Addie’s curvier figure over with a wave of distaste. She didn’t give a rat’s ass about claws. She could always remove them, one at a time, if necessary.
“Get him into his new home. Bring the girl to the lab,” Rockman said, turning away. “I need to see if she is ovulating.”
Addie frantically glanced around when Weston opened the door to the metal cage and several men came inside. There was nothing she could use as a weapon to keep them back. She rushed toward one man when he bent to grab Merrick by his ankle. Pushing him back, she yelled as loud as she could.
A scream of frustration burst from her when the man and two others grabbed for her. Kicking and screaming, she fought as hard as she could to break free. One of the men roughly jerked her arms behind her back while the others held her squirming body down.
She cried out in pain when two of the men lifted her up. The one man had his hand around where the bullet had grazed her. Throwing her head to the side, she headbutted the guy. Unfortunately, it was on the side that was already bruised and just made her hurt even more.
“I will walk, damn you!” She cried in frustration. “Let me go.”
The moment the men released her back on her feet, she turned and kicked him in the shin. The man yelled and jumped out of range of her when she glared at him again. Straightening her shoulders, she tried to toss her hair out of her face.
She froze when she felt a hand brush the stubborn strands away from her face. Addie couldn’t resist snapping her teeth at Weston’s fingers when they got close to her mouth. The sharp tap on her bruised cheek caused her to quickly pull back.
Glaring up at him, she waited for him to speak. Indecision flooded her when he continued to stand in front of her, staring down at her. That feeling turned to terror when he suddenly wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her forward.
For a split second, Addie didn’t know what to do when Weston’s lips came down over hers in a crushing kiss. She pressed her lips tightly together, refusing to part them even when he tried to force her. Just when she thought he was finished, he bit her bottom lip. Still, she refused to open for him.
Finally, he pulled away and released his grip on her. Stepping back, he stared at her with a look of appraisal, as if he couldn’t quite make up his mind about her. A slow, unnerving smile curled the corner of his lips.
“Perhaps if the Doctor doesn’t want you, I might,” Weston said.
Addie shook her head fiercely from side to side. Weston just chuckled and nodded his head to the two guards silently standing on each side of her. She jerked her arm away when one of the men reached to touch her. Glancing back over her shoulder, she saw four other men lifting Merrick’s unconscious body onto a gurney similar to what the hospitals used to move patients around.
She pushed down the fear threatening to choke her and instead focused on where they were taking her. One way or another, she was going to escape. She didn’t know how, but she wasn’t going to just roll over and die.
No, I didn’t give up when I was sick and I’m not going to give up now, she thought fiercely as she followed the guard in front of her through the brightly lit corridor.
Chapter 11
“What have you found?” Cosmos asked, leaning back in his chair.
“The body of the guard,” Avery replied. “The hard drives for the security system are gone. We located where they were holding your alien friend.”
“How did they get past RITA’s surveillance of the area?” Cosmos demanded, looking at the multiple screens in front of him.
“There was an underground maintenance tunnel. It looks like they may have used it. RITA is checking the cameras in the area where they would have gone above ground,” Avery answered.
“I’ve got some footage, Cosmos, “ RITA piped in.
Cosmos looked over the grainy images of two vans pulling away from an underground parking garage almost four blocks from Keiser. They were identical. He tapped on the screen, enlarging the back of the second van.
“What else do you have?” He asked in a gruff voice.
“We’ve found another guard. I will be interrogating him after Trudy gets done doing an analysis. It looks like he has some of the dead guard’s blood on him,” Avery commented. “I’ll let you know the minute I find out anything.”
Cosmos looked over his shoulder when he heard a low rumble of disappr
oval. His eyes softened for a moment when they flashed to his wife, Terra, who was watching him with concerned eyes. It was almost four in the morning. The rumble sounded again, forcing his eyes back to the small group of Prime warriors standing behind him with their arms crossed. He grimaced when he saw the tight mask of disapproval on the face of one of the men.
Core Ta’Duran was Merrick’s first cousin. He had been a royal pain in Cosmos’ ass ever since Merrick disappeared almost four and a half months before. Correction, he had been a pain in his ass ever since he met Avery.
He didn’t know, or want to know, what his head of security had done to get the huge guy’s attention. He was afraid it might be another case of a Prime warrior finding his bond mate. Avery hadn’t mentioned anything to him yet. Whatever was going on between the two, he hoped it didn’t cause any more diplomatic issues than he was already having to deal with.
On top of dealing with Core’s demands, he was working on his promise to Teriff, the Leader of the Prime. He had sworn that he would do everything in his power to find Merrick. It would appear the Prime council threatened to take a more active role if he wasn’t found soon.
Cosmos had promised his new father-in-law that he would inform him immediately of any new information in an effort to help him keep the council happy. Between Core, Teriff, and Merrick, Cosmos was about ready to wash his hands of the lot of them! A deep sigh escaped him when he felt Terra’s hands on his stiff shoulders.
“You know you don’t mean that,” she whispered in his ear. “You need rest. You’ve been working too much again.”
“It is getting harder and harder to keep both your father and the President from sending in forces. That will only get Merrick killed. We know he is alive. My team just needs a few more days,” Cosmos said, leaning his head back against her chest. “Once this is over, I want the two of us to go somewhere.”
“Mak has an island off the coast,” Terra murmured. “We can go there and be alone. Well, almost alone.”
“You are amazing, you know that, don’t you?” Cosmos chuckled, tilting his head to kiss her.
“Do you think you can focus on something other than my daughter?” Teriff demanded, coming to stand next to Cosmos.
“Father,” Terra murmured in reproach.
Teriff flushed, but remained stubborn. “I wish to finish this. Every time your mother has made plans for the evening lately, something has prevented me from being there. Tilly has been showing her how to use the restraints. I want to see what she has learned,” Teriff complained.
Cosmos covered his groan with a cough and turned back to the monitor. “That is way too much information, Teriff,” he muttered under his breath.
“Why? Perhaps Tilly should show you as well,” Teriff suggested. “I am sure she would be receptive to teaching you as well.”
Cosmos couldn’t keep the chuckle from escaping. “The last thing I need is instruction from Tink’s mom,” he assured Teriff. “I think I have a pretty good idea of some of the things she’ll share with you.”
“Why?” Teriff asked again. “Have you used them with Terra?”
That was too much for Cosmos. His sex life with Terra was not something he was about to discuss with her father. He scowled darkly at his father-in-law. He wanted everyone out of his lab, out of his warehouse, off of Earth, and out of his life!
Except for you, Terra, Cosmos whispered silently.
Terra’s husky laughter filled him with warmth. I know what you meant, my mate, she replied, glancing over to where a shimmering door suddenly appeared next to Core. I think you are about to get your wish.
“What the fuck! Core, no!” Cosmos growled, turning to look over at where Terra was staring. “RITA!”
Cosmos glared at where a series of coordinates were displayed across the top of the monitors along with blueprints to the building. Aggravation poured through him and his fingers curled as he watched the three warriors disappear through the portal. He should have figured out a way to dismantle the damn things.
“Please tell me they are just going to return to their world,” Cosmos asked in a grim voice. “Please tell me you did NOT give them Avery’s location.”
“Of course they are returning to their world,” RITA said. “You know they can’t move from Point A on Earth to Point B on Earth without causing some major temporal damage.”
Cosmos ran his hands over his face and looked up at the ceiling in an effort not to pull the plug on one of the best inventions he, and Tink and Tilly Bell, had ever invented. Still, for just a moment it might not be such a bad idea.
“Cosmos,” RITA replied in a soothing voice. “Core is worried about Avery.”
“I know, RITA. I know,” Cosmos replied, releasing his breath and sighing as a slender pair of arms wound around his waist. Turning, he pulled Terra into his arms and just held her for several long minutes before he spoke again. “It’s just that it’s very dangerous to have so many aliens running around all over the place. Avery can handle this.”
“I don’t think it is Avery that RITA is worried about, Cosmos,” Terra said, leaning back so she could cup his face between her palms. “It is very difficult, even painful, for a Prime warrior to be separated from his bond mate. Avery has been avoiding Core and he can no longer allow that. He needs her, not just physically, but mentally.”
Cosmos’ hands moved down over Terra’s slender form. He could understand what she was saying. The longer they were together, the more difficult it was for him to be separated from Terra. That was one reason why he didn’t personally go on any more missions. The knowledge that if something happened to him, that Terra would be in danger of wasting away, was too much for him.
Sighing again, he released Terra and turned back to the monitors. “RITA, play the video of the vans back again and see if you can track where they went.”
“I’m on it, Cosmos,” RITA replied, cheerfully.
Chapter 12
Merrick groaned as he came awake. Memories flooded his mind and he rolled unsteadily to his feet. He frantically reached for Addie.
Addie! Addie! Where are you? Answer me! Merrick demanded.
He stumbled to the metal door of the cell he had been placed in. It was very similar to the one they had him in back at Keiser before they moved him to the cage. Pounding his fist against the metal framed door, he tried to clear his vision so he could see through the narrow window.
Addie!
I’m okay, Addie’s shaky voice replied. I think… I think they are bringing me down to you. Doctor Rockman told them to return me to your cell.
Merrick didn’t reply. He bowed his head and rested his arms against the door as he drew deep, calming breaths. He felt like his mind was splintering. The last few months of captivity, combined with the constant drugs and tests were bad enough, but to know that he had a mate that he could not protect was almost too much for the fragile strand he held on to.
His head jerked up when he heard the sound of footsteps coming down the long corridor. Relief swelled through him when he saw Addie’s curvy figure. Her hands were bound in front of her and she looked very pale and tired.
“Get back,” one of the guards demanded. “We’ve got orders to kill the girl if you try anything.”
A low snarl escaped Merrick, but he stepped away from the door. The men only opened it far enough to push Addie through. The moment she was clear of the door, he crossed back to grab her, twisting to put his body between her and the guards.
“Doc says if you behave, the girl lives,” the guard stated.
Merrick kept his back to the men, refusing to acknowledge them. His arms held Addie’s trembling body close to his. He finally heard the men joking as they walked away. Only when the sound of their voices faded, did he release Addie. Leading her over to the long single bed against the far wall, he gently turned her so she could sit down.
He knelt in front of her and tenderly cupped her chin. A dark frown creased his brow as he studied the bruise on her cheek, another o
n her forehead, before he touched her lip which also had a small dark discoloration.
“Tell me what happened,” he demanded in a low voice. “Did they hurt you?”
Addie studied his lips even as she heard his words in her mind. She shook her head, touching her cheek, then forehead. A small wince escaped her when she licked her bottom lip.
“My cheek was already bruised from where Weston hit me earlier. I got a new one when I head-butted one of the guards. He grabbed my arm and it hurt,” Addie said with a crooked grin. “I kicked him in the shin too.”
“What happened to your lip?” Merrick asked, tenderly rubbing the dark spot.
Addie rolled her eyes. “Weston kissed me. I guess he didn’t like that I didn’t respond. The guy is an asshole,” she muttered. “He’s nothing but a big bully. He wanted to intimidate me, I think.”
Merrick closed off his mind, not wanting Addie to hear his murderous thoughts. Weston would be the first one he killed. Markham second if he was here, if not, he would hunt him down after he killed every other human that had held him captive.
“What did Doctor Rockman do to you?” Merrick forced out over the sick feeling in his stomach. “Did she… hurt you?”
“No,” Addie replied with a puzzled frown. “Except for asking me a bunch of questions and taking a blood sample, she was actually pretty reserved. I was just glad when they put the plastic ties on me again, they put them in the front instead of the back.”
Can you try your communication device again? Merrick asked.
It won’t work. There is still no signal. I think it is because of all the metal. I only had a brief moment to check it when I used the bathroom outside of Doctor Rockman’s office, Addie replied with a sigh, glancing around and wondering if there were any cameras or listening devices in the room.
I will look to see if there are any, Merrick replied, brushing Addie’s hair back from her face. I am sorry you are in harm’s way, Addie.